Military vs Army
Understanding the difference between military and army is simple, as the army is a smaller unit of the military. In other words, the army is part of the military, which is the armed forces available to a country’s government to defend itself from any aggression from other countries. The military also helps internally during natural and manmade disasters. In the modern world, every country has a separate military with sufficient weapons provided to various wings to defend the country’s territories. However, people often use the word “army” more frequently than “military,” which can cause confusion. This article will differentiate between military and army to clarify any doubts.
What is Military?
Although the primary objective of both the army and the military is to protect the nation’s safety and integrity at any cost, the army is a constituent unit of the larger military, also known as armed forces. A military typically has three important units: the army, the navy, and the air force. As the names suggest, the army consists of infantry comprising armed soldiers, the navy looks after the safety of the country’s territorial waters, and the air force is the unit comprising the country’s air power. Landlocked countries may not have a navy and only have an army and air force.
The word “military” comes from the Latin “militaris,” meaning soldiers. It should not be confused with the army, which is only part of the armed forces with other constituents. Militaries are powerful, but they remain under political control, and in some countries, political leaders have used the military for social control.
Different countries have varying constituents that make up a military depending on geographical and political factors. For example, the US has the army, navy, air force, Marine Corps, and coast guards as five different constituents of its large military. Similarly, countries with no coastal areas may not have a navy, and different units are raised and maintained based on needs and requirements.
What is Army?
The word “army” comes from the Latin “armata,” meaning armed forces. It is common to refer to the entire military, not just the army, as armed forces worldwide. Regarding armies, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in China is considered the most potent army globally, with over 2.25 million soldiers. The Indian army is also believed to be one of the strongest globally.
An army can be thought of as a group of trained individuals standing to protect a piece of land during wartime. That is why armies in any country are never disbanded and are activated whenever needed. In fact, reserves are kept in a state of readiness to be pushed into action if there is any shortfall in numbers in an army.
Key Takeaways
- Army is a unit of military in all countries of the world, referring to armed soldiers that are in a state of readiness to defend their country at all costs.
- Military is all armed forces of a country combined, meaning that when you say “military,” you mean army, navy, air force, and any other military forces in the country taken together.
- Army focuses on ground missions, while military focuses on ground, air, and naval missions.
